John Romita Sr.Amazing Spider-Man#121
"The Night Gwen Stacy Died" Cover Original Art (Marvel, 1973).
Some say the death of Gwen Stacy marked the end of the Silver Age
of comics. "This was the end of innocence for comics... it remains
one of the most potent stories ever published," was Arnold
Blumberg's comment in Comic Book Marketplace.
The caption at the lower right crystallizes the theme of the most
desirable piece of 1970s comic art we've auctioned to date. "Not
a trick! Not an imaginary tale -- but the most startling unexpected
turning point in this web-slinger's entire life. How can Spider-Man
go on after being faced with this almost unbelievable
death?"
It's a story that fans still talk about, and the most
sense-shattering deathblow in comics. Letters from outraged fans
flooded the Marvel offices, and led to another mini-controversy...
did Stan Lee OK this storyline or not?
The loss of Gwen marked nothing less than an end to the carefree
fun and offbeat innocence of the Silver Age era. Spider-Man and the
Marvel Age of Heroes were never quite so merry after this
story.
This dynamic cover spotlights the taut suspense in an almost
unbearable manner -- who among the beloved ASM cast
would die? Many a fan thought, "Oh, please let it be Norman
Osborn." Any Spider-fan who bought this issue off the
spinner-rack has this iconic scene seared into his/her comic
consciousness. With this scene, John Romita and Gerry Conway marked
a tragic milestone for the world-famous Spider-Man saga launched by
Steve Ditko and Stan Lee -- and for Marvelites, landmark issue
covers just can't get better than this.
The image area of this eye-popping bombshell, showcasing John
Romita Sr. at the height of his talent, measures 10" x 15". The art
has some overall paper aging, a horizontal crease in the middle (at
the level of the top of Spider-Man's head), a tear on the right
side, and scattered staining that has little effect on the
overwhelming power of the image; otherwise, the art is in Very Good
condition. John Romita signed the page at the lower right. It's not
just a classic cover -- it's a priceless piece of Bronze Age Marvel
lore.

Romita Sr., John:(American, b. 1930): John Romita Sr. started drawing comics after spending a year in commercial art. His first jobs were done for the Atlas group in 1949, and he drew mostly horror and romance stories, but also war, western, and crime features. After the Atlas implosion, Romita Sr. went to DC, where he drew romance stories for eight years. After that, it was back to Marvel, where he initially inked The Avengers and drew Daredevil. However, Romita Sr.'s most celebrated work was done for the Amazing Spider-Man, the feature he took over when Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko left Marvel in 1966. Under Romita Sr.'s tenure, Spider-Man became one of the comic field's most popular characters. Romita Sr. left his regular Spider-Man art chores in the early seventies to become an Art Director at Marvel in the Special Projects Department, and as Art Director for Marvel Books. In 1977, Romita Sr. briefly drew the syndicated Spider-Man newspaper comic strip. His son, John Romita Jr., is also an artist at Marvel.